The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1887-06-29

there Is an utter disregard by the rail-
roads of the country of the circumstance
that there are thousands and tens of
thousands of shipments made under ex-
actly similar circumstances and cOndi-
lions where one is Disseminated against
and another is not, where one place is
broken down and another is not, where
one man gets rebate and another does
not; and the purpose of this bill is to
prevent that in so far as we may be able
to do it without Gripping the commerce
of the country. Does not the Senator
think there is anything in it?
Mr.. George think there is a good
deal in the provision against discrimina-
ton and the provision against rebates,
but / think that by the construction
put upon the clause as to the long and
and short haul the Senator has destroyed
the benefit of that provision.
Mr.. Aldrich-As the Senator from
Illinois says that he did not make that
statement, | now ask him what his
opinion is upon that question, if he has
any, and l should like also to get the
opinion of his colleagues on the COM
mittee.
Mr.. Cullom-I will simply say in
answer to the Senator from Rhode
Island that he seems to be exceedingly
anxious to in some way make the bill
which is before the Senate offensive to
the people of the country; but | repeat
that any court or any commission which
had the construction of this section to
pass upon would be required to take
into account the language used, the
place, the circumstances, and all to-
gether as to what those words should
mean in determining whether a COM
petitive point should have any advan-
tage over a non-competitive point.
Mr.. Camden-If the Senator from
Rhode Island will allow me l will
answer his question.
Mr.. Aldrich-I desired an er cathedr0
answer from the committee who made
| this report.
Mr.. Harris-If the Senator wants my
opinion he shall have exactly what !
understand it to mean.
Mr.. Aldrich-I do.
Mr.. Harris-I favored the short haul
provision from the beginning, and did
50 for this reason: As a general rule
the shipper from competitive point
has a measure of protection, at least, by
the competition that exists there.
Mr.. Aldrich-How if the shippers
there cannot get any lower rates?
Mr.. Harris-But the shipper from a
point non competitive, where he must
accept the terms of the carrier or allow
his produce to perish upon his hands, is
the shipper whom | wanted a short-haul
law to protect.
Mr.. Camden-That is the very object
of the provision.
Mr.. Harris-That is the very object
with me at least, in having insisted
from the moment | entered the inter
state commerce committee, and | con-
tinue up to this moment and shall con-
tinue to insist upon a short-haul pro-
vision, so as to give the shipper from
the non-competitlve point some prOtec-
ton against unreasonable and unjust
exactiOns; and for another reason: Take
Chicago, for instance, as a competitive
point. When rate wars may rage and
drive through freights down to an un-
reasonable point, if the competing car
riers there know that, however low they
NAV put their rates from Chicago to
New York, they cannot charge an ag-
gregate sum greater for any shorter
haul between Chicago and New York, it
will do more to restrain and to prevent
rate wars than all your pooling con-
tracts have ever done or will ever do.
Mr.. Aldrich-Does the Senator from
Tennessee expect that those results will
ever accrue from the passage of this
bill?
Mr.. Harris-The protection of the
shipper from non-cOmpetitive points,
Mr. Aldrich-Yes.
Mr.. Harris-I not only expect, but
am confident that it will accrue from
this bill.
Mr.. Aldrich-I have received an an
swer, so far as the Senator from Tennes.
see is concerned, but do not understand
that the Senator from Illinois makes
any answer to the question.